The Fire
by akittynamedpup
Summary: A casual meeting in the library, just your average day.


Vincent flipped through an old Quidditch magazine. He was supposed to be studying for a Potions exam, but he really did not have the energy to do so. He had been following his "leader" all day, helping him make threats and such. He sighed as he glanced over at his Potion book. Gregory Goyle told him they were going to study together this afternoon, but Draco had needed him at the last minute for something.

_Let's see, _he thought as he opened to page with the Confusing Concoction printed on it. _ Hmmm so you need-_

Crabbe looked up from his book; he felt a rush of air as someone sat beside him at his once desolate table. No one ever sat next to him when he was in the library, unless of course it was Draco or Gregory…

He slightly turned his head to see who had claimed the seat beside him. It was definitely not Goyle. Beside him sat a small girl, with long slightly tangled dirty-blonde hair. She chewed on the end of her wand (the non dangerous side) while she read a rather thick looking book and scribbled notes down onto her parchment.

He did not mean to stare for so long, it just happened, but eventually the girl noticed the pair of eyes burning into her noggin. She looked over to see whose those eyes belonged to and smiled.

"Hello,"

Crabbe said nothing; he just continued to stare at her with his mouth slightly slack. She had just talked directly to him.

_Me. Not Draco, not Me and Goyle, just me._

"Can you see Wrackspurts? They are invisible, but I just read that some people actually have the power to see them. Is one stuck in my ear?"

"What?" that question seemed to snap him out of his slight shock.

"Wrakspurts, you know those little flying creatures that can make your brain go a little fuzzy," Luna smiled, "I did not feel one around me though, so maybe you didn't see one. I'm a little relieved. I like my memories" She continued to write on her parchment, humming a tuneless melody while she worked.

Crabbe slowly turned back to his book. He wanted to keep working but at the same time, for some bizarre reason, he wanted to continue learning about Wrakspurts. Maybe it wasn't that he really wanted to learn about them exactly, he just wanted to hear her voice again. It was soft and dreamy sounding, very different than any other voice he had heard before, especially when the voices had been addressing him. Her eyes were interesting too, wide and very pale silver, slightly frightening to look at, but entrancing.

Something wet and sticky shook him out of his thoughts. His book was splattered with purple ink. _What the hell was that?!_ He glared around the room, hoping to find the culprit of the random ink explosion.

"Oh dear," gasped the girl. "Did it get you too? I'm sorry," Her face was completely purple now, and her eyes were even more noticeable now peering with dreamy concern. She pulled out a large yellow handkerchief with a swirly rainbow design on it he could not really make out and handed it to him. "Half of your face is violet,"

Crabbe took the handkerchief without protest and proceeded to wipe off his face. He wanted to ask her why her ink well had decided to spontaneously combust, but just as he opened his mouth to ask she seemed to have read his mind and answered his question.

"I guess some of my classmates thought it would be funny to see me covered in ink," She glanced over at a group of young Ravenclaws that were sitting two tables over. Some were still giggling but the others noticed Luna's company, and hastily began to shush the rest of the group.

He glared at the group making a mental note to beat up some Ravenclaws later that week. He handed the handkerchief back to its owner, "Thanks er…" he grunted.

"Luna," she replied as she wiped off her own face. Somehow it had completely taken the ink off her face without leaving a trace of the ink, "Luna Lovegood, and you are Vincent Crabbe, correct?" She asked as she gently folded her handkerchief and set it on the table.

"Yeah… How do you-"

"Oh I've seen you around, actually I've seen you in here a few times, pretending to study. I've heard students mutter your name under their breath when they see you. People don't seem to like you much, do they?"

Crabbe was taken aback by her bluntness. How could she make such a statement to him, without the fear of being beaten to a pulp? Well, he did not _want _to beat her to a pulp, but that was beside the point.

"I-well-I- er," was all he managed to blubber out. Sometimes he wished he had a slightly larger vocabulary to express himself, but he felt that even equipped with a ranged vernacular, he still would not have been able to respond to her.

"We are the same in that sense," Her eyes focused on her ruined piece of parchment, "I suppose I am going to have to rewrite my notes, and find another copy of this book. There are times I wish things like this wouldn't happen, but I suppose rewriting will help me retain information, right?"

He couldn't take it, those wide eyes, her lack of fearfulness… Somehow Crabbe ended up helping Luna with her notes on Wrakspurts, which were honestly quite fascinating. They stayed in the library for hours writing and talking, or rather Luna chattering away about the most interesting creatures he had ever heard of while he just soaked in the information. Luna even helped him study for his Potions test.

Both stretched their bodies after they stood up from their chairs, and then grinned at each other. They were done.

"Thanks for helping me study," he mumbled.

"It was quite fun, actually, and you did help me first. You're not such a bad person after all," She shook her robes and floated toward the library door, "See you around," she mouthed as paused in front of the door then left.

Crabbe did see her around, but he never had the courage to talk to her again. He had told Draco about her the night he went back to the common room, and boy did Draco have something to say about her family. They were quacks and blood traitors, and he was never to speak to her again.

He had given up trying to escape. There was fire everywhere. He couldn't see and could barely breathe. Crabbe was on his back, the flames dancing around him, mocking him and his stupidity. He could do nothing now except wait and think. His whole life did not flash before his eyes, only fragments, but he wonder why things turned out the way they did. Why had he been born Vincent Crabbe? Born to follow orders? If he had followed orders he would not be in this mess. Memories drifted in and out of his mind as the burning sensation turned into numb pulsations. One memory however did not drift away. It stuck in his mind as if had grown deep roots and would not be moved. Her long tangled blonde hair and light gray eyes filled his thoughts. With the little energy he had left he pulled out a yellow handkerchief. On it was a swirly, rainbow design that he still couldn't make out.

She had left it there folded neatly on the table. He had meant to return it to her eventually, but he never had the chance, or rather he never allowed himself the chance. Not only did Draco forbid interaction with her after his first encounter, but he felt that if had given it back, he would have lost a part of himself that he never knew he had. He actually cared about her. Crabbe had beaten up those Ravenclaws that week, under the guise that they had insulted the Malfoy family. He would silently threaten those who would attempt to mess with Luna. He wanted to protect her so badly, and he would whenever he could.

Draco had always asked him about the handkerchief, as he was not very good at hiding it. Crabbe would only grunt in response, and somehow that was enough to get Draco off his case for a while. _I guess sometimes it pays to be stupid._

As the flames met his body, he slowly began to burn. The flames crept up, engulfing him. He clutched the handkerchief close to his heart, when he realized that it was not catching on fire. Crabbe painfully lifted his hand so he could get a better look at it. The handkerchief was still perfectly yellow, and the design… The design was shifting and finally after all these years, her could make it out. Crabbe smiled and shut his eyes.

_Whoever takes this handkerchief will be my friend now and always._

THE END.


End file.
